Volunteering

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said about volunteering, "Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." Almost everyone has the capability of helping others. As Dr. King alluded to, the only thing required is compassion for others.

For whom or for what do you have compassion? For some, it is children. For others, it is animals. Whatever it is, there is probably a need that you can fill. There are many organizations around Etowah County that can use your help, from the Etowah County Humane Society to the United Way along with many other volunteer agencies. These are organizations that are trying to make Etowah County a better place to live. If you can't volunteer with one of these organizations, maybe you can just check on a disabled neighbor. Or perhaps you can make your relatives aware of the importance of having an emergency supply kit or family emergency plan. This is another form of volunteering, and can mean the world to the person you are helping. This is making Etowah County a better place to live, by making your community a better place to live.

When a disaster strikes, such as Hurricane Katrina, the local government's resources to help will often be strained in the initial phase of the response. People in your community may have to rely on each other. We often see this when a major tornado strikes. Getting to know your neighbors, forming neighborhood watch or improvement committees, and just promising you"ll be there is so important. As Ronald Reagan once said, "No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers."